Several vaccines with promising results are still in initial trials and dozens of pharmaceutical companies are competing to create the solution to restrain the virus, which has caused more than 500,000 deaths worldwide and has infected more than 10 million people.
This is one of the most catastrophic scenarios in the last years and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pandemic is far from over.
In the midst of this worldwide crisis, the importance of vaccines is more evident today, because, despite the opposition of many groups around the world, there is no doubt that they are the most effective, safe and economical tools for worldwide public health and for saving millions of lives every year.
It is clear that their role has been crucial in the eradication of major diseases. Thanks to their contribution, around three million lives are saved each year and, although, for the moment, vaccines have not been developed against some of the main scourges of humanity, if the scientific community continues working as it has done, in the future we could have vaccines against diabetes, hypertension, lipids and Alzheimer’s.
Despite the obvious benefits that vaccines have brought, in recent years opposition groups have expressed their rejection of vaccines, considering them harmful to health, when in reality, they are the most effective tool for the prevention of diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles, among others.
Today, we are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the vaccine against the dreaded COVID-19, because we are clear that, without it, the consequences in the long term would be more catastrophic.
So, this is the most appropriate moment to remember that, without the existence of vaccines, we cannot live. Without them, we would not be able to face serious diseases and the life expectancy of all humanity would be reduced.
Unfortunately, support for the development of vaccines is often influenced by political, economic and market reasons. Currently, there is a sector of the population that has expressed its rejection of their children receiving vaccines, and this is due to a lack of information, fake news, myths or beliefs.
This type of attitude has been considered by the WHO as one of the 10 main threats to Public Health and, of course, they are generating fear, doubts and uncertainty through the use of information without scientific character.
I must make it clear that, like any medicine, vaccines can cause adverse events, but most are very mild. Even serious reactions are extremely rare and the benefits undoubtedly surpass the risks.
For example, brain damage from measles is 10,000 times more likely than from a vaccine. These data are the product of years of studies and constant monitoring by national and international organizations that supervise and guarantee the safety of vaccines for the world’s population.
That is why, as a scientist who has dedicated his life to find a cure and preventing diseases such as cancer, today I want to call for calm and absolute support for the development of vaccines. Everyone hope that this pandemic will end, but for that to happen, the arrival of a vaccine is essential, which must be prioritized for health workers and risk groups. Once created and approved, its mass production and distribution to the populations that require it will be the greatest challenge.
Dr. Rolando Herrero Acosta
Scientific Director of the
Costa Rican Agency for Biomedical Research
Yes, science is being done in Guanacaste that benefits the health of women around the world. For years, this province has been a seedbed of huge research, carried out by the Costa Rican Agency for Biomedical Research, ACIB-FUNIN, mainly for the prevention of the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer.
ACIB-FUNIN scientists have been conducting research for over 30 years that benefit millions of people around the world, and Guanacaste and its inhabitants have played a key role in this.
For three decades, 24,000 Guanacastecans have participated in these studies, contributing altruistically to the search for solutions to prevent a cancer that kills more than 300,000 women worldwide every year.
Thanks to these research, Costa Rican scientists were able to corroborate more than 30 years ago that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for causing cervical cancer and determined the main risk factors associated with the infection and the disease, in addition, they evaluated multiple screening methods.
Years later, they demonstrated the efficacy and safety of the HPV vaccine, and even discovered that a single dose of the vaccine could offer the same protection against HPV infection as three doses.
These findings have been vital to the worldwide fight against cervical cancer and it is of pride that all this evidence has been generated in Costa Rica, because our country has been fundamental in the World Health Organization’s strategy to eliminate a cancer that is 100% preventable. Thank you, Guanacaste and thank you, Costa Rica, for having science in your DNA and for contributing to the development of the country by promoting health and research. Dra. Carolina Porras Gutiérrez Directora de Investigaciones Biomédicas de ACIB-FUNIN
But this number should be zero, taking into account that cervical cancer is 100% preventable. So, you may ask, why women continue to die if this disease can be prevented?
Despite the great efforts made worldwide to eradicate this type of cancer, the high level of contagion by the Human Papillomavirus that causes this disease and the lack of a culture of prevention through regular medical check-ups are responsible for these statistics.
Unfortunately, 80 percent of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This reality demands greater action from us, not only from the authorities of each country, but also from ourselves. We must be clear that the best way to prevent cervical cancer is vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus, which is present in more than 80% of the population.
Fortunately, in Costa Rica there are already great advances in this area and since 2019, 10-year-old girls receive two doses of the vaccine against this virus. In addition, from the Costa Rican Agency for Biomedical Research, we have made great efforts to continue fighting cervical cancer.
This is how we have already vaccinated 20 thousand young women and adolescents against the Human Papillomavirus, as part of the “ESCUDDO” study, with which we are looking to demonstrate the effectiveness of a single dose of the vaccine. This is a female population that is already protected and that, due to its age range, is not contemplated within the vaccination carried out by our health authorities.
Through biomedical research we continue to have a positive impact on public health in our country and around the world. Therefore, Costa Rica, let us continue the fight against cervical cancer. We are on the right path, but there is still more to do; our women will thank us. Let us fight to achieve a generation free of cervical cancer.
On the occasion of International Working Women’s Day, it is necessary to discuss a serious public health problem that requires greater efforts from our health system to reduce its impact on Costa Rican families. Cervical cancer continues to kill our women, despite being 100% preventable. As a country, we have worked for several decades on its prevention, detection and treatment, but there is still much to do and it is time to strengthen actions and implement new policies that will lead us to the elimination of this disease. Cervical cancer is one of the diseases that kills most women; it is responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths every day around the world. Is a cancer that predominantly affects women without access to adequate health services, relatively young, mothers of several children, and often, heads of household or immigrants. 90% of cases occur in countries, regions and human groups with fewer resources. This cancer originates from a sexually transmitted infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which most men and women acquire near the beginning of sexual relations. The infection disappears on its own in most cases, but sometimes it persists and becomes precancerous lesions that, over time, can lead to cancer. For several years, the infection and associated lesions are detectable with tests such as cytology or Pap smears, and are generally curable with a relatively simple treatment. Cytology screening programs have managed to reduce the burden of this disease and important progress has been made in Costa Rica, with a significant reduction in mortality over the last 20 years. However, the incidence and mortality from this cancer are still unacceptable and more than 120 women continue to die each year. We still have work to do in the area of early detection, because we continue to use cytology as the main screening method, even when the World Health Organization, based on extensive evidence, recommends changing the screening method to the HPV detection test for people over 30 years of age, which is more accurate than cytology, since it allows a reduction in the frequency of tests and can be done by the woman herself (self-sampling). On the other hand, detection and treatment activities require a high level of organization, quality control and information systems that are pending development in our country, in order to achieve international goals and reduce the suffering of affected families. Institutional strengthening, specifically of reproductive health programs, as well as the continuation of efforts in sexual education, based on scientific evidence, are an essential part of this proposal. Costa Rica has a great opportunity to become one of the first countries to achieve the elimination of cervical cancer, considering the strengths of our public health system, such as the possibility of taking centralized measures and its broad coverage. Fortunately, since 2019, vaccination of all 10-year-old girls against HPV has been introduced in our schools and health centers, with excellent coverage. On this Women’s Day, one of the best tributes and displays of solidarity with their daily struggle is the adoption of the necessary institutional and community measures to achieve the elimination of a disease that exemplifies, like few others, the unfavorable condition of women in our society.
Dr. Rolando HerreroDirector Científico de ACIB-FUNIN
